# Akshay Kumar film project developments > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/akshay-kumar-film-project-developments > Updated: 2026-09-20T17:25:29.000Z. Sources: 49. Developments: 7. Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is advancing a diverse slate of upcoming film projects. Early reports highlighted the release of the trailer for ‘Haiwaan’, a dark crime thriller directed by Priyadarshan that reunites Kumar with Saif Ali Khan. During the same period, Kumar began principal photography for ‘Samuk’, a survival-action thriller involving military realism and alien mythology, with filming locations in London and Mumbai. On September 9, 2026, Kumar celebrated his 59th birthday. On September 11, 2026, the psychological action crime thriller ‘Haiwaan’ was released in theaters. The film marks the first onscreen reunion of Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in approximately 18 years. In the movie, which is a remake of the Malayalam film ‘Oppam’, Ali Khan portrays a visually impaired caretaker named Shyam, while Kumar plays the antagonist, a ruthless killer named Parshuram. Critical and audience reactions have been mixed; reviewers praised the intense performances but criticized the runtime and predictable plot. Following its release, ‘Haiwaan’ has struggled commercially. Reports regarding its opening weekend varied, with some indicating a global box office of over ₹11.55 crore, while others described the film as a “significant financial failure,” noting it earned just over ₹9 crore in its first four days against a reported production budget of approximately ₹125 crore. By its fourth day, the film experienced a 62.2% drop from its Sunday collection, earning only 0.70 crore rupees on Monday. By its first week, the film reportedly earned between ₹8.68 crore and ₹8.75 crore nett in India. Collections continued to decline sharply, with Day 8 reportedly bringing in only ₹66,838. This performance has sparked discussions regarding Kumar’s recent project selections as several of his recent releases have struggled to maintain theatrical momentum. ## Claims - Priyadarshan directed the film Haiwaan. (corroborated by 4 sources) - Haiwaan is a remake of the Malayalam thriller Oppam. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Saif Ali Khan plays the character Shyam, a visually impaired caretaker. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Akshay Kumar plays the antagonist, Parshuram. (corroborated by 2 sources) - This film marks the first reunion of Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan in nearly 18 years. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The film was released in theaters on September 11, 2026. (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-20: Haiwaan box office struggles following weak first week The thriller Haiwaan, starring Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan, has struggled at the box office, earning roughly ₹8.7 crore in its first week and facing significant declines in subsequent days. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/haiwaan-box-office-struggles-following-weak-first-week ### 2026-09-15: Haivan box office collection declines on fourth day The film ‘Haivan’, starring Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar, saw a sharp decline on its fourth day, earning only 0.70 crore rupees and bringing its four-day total to 8.05 crore rupees. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/haivan-box-office-collection-declines-on-fourth-day ### 2026-09-14: Haiwaan box office performance shows weak opening The Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan starrer ‘Haiwaan’ has struggled at the box office, earning between ₹9 crore and ₹11.55 crore during its opening period against a reported ₹125 crore budget. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/haiwaan-box-office-performance-shows-weak-opening ### 2026-09-12: Haiwaan box office collections decline after opening weekend The Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan thriller Haiwaan is struggling at the box office, seeing declining daily collections and mixed reviews following its release. 15 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/haiwaan-earns-rs-3-crore-on-opening-day-at-indian-box-office ### 2026-09-10: Haiwaan movie sees slow box office opening in India The Akshay Kumar and Saif Ali Khan thriller Haiwaan had a slow box office opening in India, earning approximately ₹3 crore on its first day amid mixed reviews and heavy competition. 24 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/haiwaan-film-reunites-akshay-kumar-and-saif-ali-khan ### 2026-09-09: Akshay Kumar celebrates 59th birthday amid ‘Haiwaan’ release buzz Bollywood star Akshay Kumar celebrated his 59th birthday alongside the upcoming release of his thriller ‘Haiwaan’, starring Saif Ali Khan and directed by Priyadarshan. 12 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/akshay-kumar-celebrates-59th-birthday-with-major-upcoming-film-slate ### 2026-08-24: Akshay Kumar advances multiple film projects including Haiwaan and Samuk Akshay Kumar is preparing for multiple major film releases, including the dark thriller ‘Haiwaan’ with Saif Ali Khan and the sci-fi survival project ‘Samuk’, alongside a reported reunion with director Sajid. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/akshay-kumar-begins-filming-samuk-survival-thriller --- Cite as: Akshay Kumar film project developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/akshay-kumar-film-project-developments